Abi Irozuru is a multi-talented Long Jumper from Manchester, UK. Having retired through injury back in 2016, Abi has had an incredible 2019, competing for GB at the European Indoor Championship back in March, to now competing with the World’s best athletes at the IAAF World Championships in Doha.
“When I first came back in 2018 having retired in 2016, my level of confidence and self-belief was quite low. I doubted if I could do it and I questioned myself. Mentally and physically you have to change a lot of things. I have had to change my technique slightly in the way I run and jump, all of that can be quite draining as I am relearning things, so I have also had to be patient with myself!
The comeback is a holistic thing. For me, I see it the process as 4 dimensional, what I call 4-D living – mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. I have to think the following:
Spiritually: am I at a good level, am I praying, am I meditating?
Physically: am I making sure each day I am eating the right foods, taking care of myself movement wise.
Mentally: am I learning, am I learning my game and learning from the other athletes who are jumping 7 meters, am I reading things that are going to help me bring my best psychology on the day?
Emotionally: am I in check, am I all over the place because I’ve had a bad competition, can I regulate those emotions?
So I need to be managing all of this much better than I did 10 years ago when I was a lot younger!”
